Sacrifice
Sacrifice is an aberrational power wielded naturally by the Malpercius bloodline; it appears in any host as a reaction to Occultism and Depravity when the two are together in an eligible Magi. Sacrifice endows upon an Occultist vastly augmented prowess over the siphoning of life, allowing one to drain mana in addition to vitality such magic would normally steal. Mutated Arm One possessing the genetic trait for a Mutated Arm acquires it the moment Depravity and Occultism coincide within their spirit; the mana behind both forces coalesces within their right arm, far beyond the normal limitations of Darkness Magic, mutating it to reflect the intense Depravity of the Sacrifice-bearer and their level of magic power. All acts of Sacrifice are performed through this cursed limb to renew and empower them. A dark arm has no set theme of appearance except 'inhuman', forming in a plethoric variety of shapes, sometimes imitating serene coral while other times taking on an eldritch scene of grisly tendrils and insectoid maws; lesser blooded Malpercian arms show vast swarms of eyeballs and are less extreme in mutation, though they may yet still vary intensely, simply taking on forms 'inspired' by the human body. A mutant arm will continue to encroach on a Magi throughout their lifetime. It evolves steadily, spreading slowly to their torso, before making an eerily intentional path for their spine and central nervous system where the brain of a Malpercian is eventually corrupted, leading eventually to enormous Depravity and feral, malevolent deformation of all functions relating to human personality, remnants of which may be retained only by master Magi bearing enormous willpower and deep mana reserves. Once the mutation reaches the spine, one's organs are mutated as well, endowing the rare few that bear these wicked limbs for that long with inhuman vitality. Mutated flesh twisted by the curse of Malpercius will regenerate from minor to major damage so long as the user regularly siphons away essence from the living, thus providing great appeal to allowing one's organs to be tainted; however, it comes at a cost, in that while a Magi might've once been able to master their Depravity it will instead become the master of them, as animal instinct within the soon to be hypertrophied brainstem is twisted and empowered to steadily instill violent malevolence in the sacrifice-bearer, however wicked or amicable they may have been before; the good fall, and the worse sink deeper into the abysmal pit of this strange and rare power. A severed mutant arm can be attached to an amputee and endow them with the powers of Sacrifice, at the cost of amnesia and severe mental distress. Some mutant arms that develop to great excess will release a form of leech, tadpole or some manner of small sub-organism in a swarm, to seek out new hosts and instill this vile mutation in others. A reattached mutant arm will feed on the vitality of a foreign host to continue fueling it's growth, though this does not occur for the natural Malpercian. Abilities A bearer of Sacrifice is a force to be feared, though few and far between. One who has a Mutated Arm is capable of tampering with life to extents not meant to be crossed inside of natural creation. However, by instinct, it drives the user to consume life with it's powers rather than reshape or reallocate it; one gains pleasure like no other from drinking in the essence of others. Each great leap in the development of one's mutated arm, acquired by consuming countless lives, endows upon a Sacrifice-bearer a vast sum of unnatural vitality; though Malpercians often give up their living essence for curses, hexes, items and weapons that consume it for power, they are known to possess formidable fortitude enough to withstand the price of such boons. *'Absorption:' The first power one with Sacrifice is capable of; by absorbing life, mana will also flow to the user from the victim, carrying with it the memories and snippets of the consumed entity's consciousness. In the beginning this energy does nothing but grant the user euphoria, though in truth it acts as the fuel for mutation. *'Regeneration:' Once mutation has appeared visibly on the surface of one's right arm, they acquire regenerative powers that activate only when a victim is Sacrificed; these are powerful, potent self healing abilities, but succeed only when death is inflicted. Regeneration extends to the rest of the body beyond the mutant arm, but accelerates further encroachment of it and heals untainted flesh far more slowly. The need for food, drink and sleep is lost if one Sacrifices regularly. *'Sacrifice II: '''One who masters Occultism and Depravity both as art forms and passions may yet transcend the normal limitations of Sacrifice. After bearing a mutanted arm for years and consuming numerous lives, perhaps amounting in the triple digits, one's mutant arm blossoms in much wilder shapes and figures, exuding enormous corruption. It's might as well as it's bearer's attunement to it is emboldened enough to permiss far greater feats of it's wicked capabilities. *'Distortion (II):' One who masters the second stage of sacrifice may use it's 'pull' on all things pertaining to life for other things; this includes Soul Transference if trained, and most notably, access to Malpercian Necromancy, known to produce mutant life-siphoning ghouls of grotesque horror supposedly more effective than conventional Undead, but far more difficult to create. There are however few other uses for this ability, and it is always a great temptation - often a need - to simply devour life. *'Regurgitation (II): After achieving the second stage of Sacrifice, one may spew Depravity from their cursed arm. This is often used by Occultists to embolden their magic in gruesome manifestations of human passion turned macabre; it also allows one to corrupt others, taint objects and dull holy presence by slathering it in putrid essence, though this is taxing on the Sacrificer. *???:' It is said there is a third and final stage a mutant arm may take, one just as feared as coveted for it's elusive mystery; loose written rumor amongst their bloodline suggests it entails a vital loss of humanity that dooms the sacrifice-bearer, but endows an unknown power upon them... Curses Though fearsome Malpercians are often subject to mortality of their own creation; a mutant arm tampers with many facets of nature, a perilous affront that often brings them close to the precipice of death. There are a number of detriments to acquiring a Mutated Arm and all the powers it endows unto an Occultist, entailing often their dismay and despair: *'Amnesia: 'When one utilizes Sacrifice as mutation first begins to show in the arm, they risk the loss of their natural memory; it is a 50% chance by rough guess with each human victim, sometimes varying with the blood purity of a Malpercian. The memories absorbed into the the Occultist distort with their own and gradually devour them, replacing their recollections and passions with those of the ones they have slain. This causes many wielders of the corrupting power to lose their way, and eventually, the goals they sought to pursue in Dark Magic; amnesiac bearers of Sacrifice live out the passions and regrets of those echoing within their mutant arm, continuing their abruptly halted lives until the delusion is either broken or outlived, returning them to fleeting states of clarity but without a portion of their true selves. One who acquires the second stage of Sacrifice is so distanced from their original self they can no longer empathize with their own identity, as if the person from their past is a stranger in every sense. *'Depravity: 'A Mutated Arm exudes such depravity that it cannot be concealed without the use of external devices and/or magic. It is a powerful force and a vile presence, easily detectable by the sensitive essence of wary Exorcists. Invariably tied to the Occult and dark power those who seek to purge the world of evil will see it in these arms quite easily... but given the level of power one with such a limb likely possesses, it will be the last pursuit of any would-be heroes dabbling in zeal. *'Emptiness: 'Despite taking in so much one with the power of Sacrifice, something deeper within is eroded away with the usage of this power. Despair creeps up on the Occultists bearing this curse, stealing away what meek joy they may find in life with such a horrifying appendage with the passage of time. Malpercians sink into grievous depression as days pass between Sacrifices, condemning them to consume life if they are to continue pursuing their own happiness. It is the repetitive depression alone a conservative Malpercian will bear that drives many to madness, perhaps why their memories are destroyed by the ones that will replace them; a meager mercy of the curse. *'Light Weakness: '''A powerful Occultist emboldened by this power may find that as it saps their own humanity together with their victims, the will to protect and the magic of Light that it manifests will inevitably become more effetive against them; the forces of light cause these stygian limbs to tense and quiver with disgust. Many Malpercians develop weaknesses to light magic, ranging from weak to severe with the boldness of their curse, some low bloods suffering no vulnerability to it at all. But yet ironically the Sacrifice of an Exorcist is one of the most pleasurable sacrifices a Malpercian can experience... Category:Magic